I want to apologize profusely for this coming out so late! I'm so, so sorry. Things have just really been crazy around here, and I honestly couldn't find the time. I've missed being able to write and being able to share it with all of you! Thank you so much for those who have stayed with me! You all mean the world to me! Now he's the next installment, and I hope you thoroughly enjoy!:) Please rate and review! (GORGEOUS BANNER BY yourwildestdreams AT TDA!!:))

The castle was quiet as Ginny made her way towards Gryffindor’s tower. Every once in awhile there were a couple students who were standing here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. As she continued her way down the corridor, her thoughts wondered what exactly Bolton would want to talk about. While her thoughts distracted her, she reached Gryffindor’s tower to her surprise. She walked over to the brown door in front of her, pausing slightly to let out a sigh, and then knocked three times.

“Be right there,” Bolton called out. Ginny heard him bustling around, opening a couple drawers then closing them. Finally, he came and opened the door, “Hello there, Ginny. I’m surprised you came.”

“Well, your note asked me to, and I can never resist a face to face apology,” she responded as she shifted her weight.

“No,” she answered shortly. Walking further into the room, she sat down in one of the empty chairs.

Bolton looked at questioningly as he closed the door. He walked over to the cart that was filled with drinks, poured himself a goblet of water and then sat down across from Ginny. “I want to thank you for coming; I honestly didn’t think that you would.

“Like I said, Lewin, I couldn’t resist a face to face apology.”

“Well, I’m sorry for earlier. I never should have involved myself in your personal life. It’s not my business, unless, of course, you want to talk about something.”

“Don’t worry, I really don’t think I’m going to be talking to you about anything,” she responded. Ginny crossed her arms and stared at Bolton. The more that she looked at him, the more attractive he seemed to be. She could see the lines that started to etch his face. Moving her eyes to his grey blue ones indicated that his eyes seemed to be tiresome, or longing for something.

“Are you okay?” He questioned, interrupting her scrutiny.

“Y-yeah,” she stumbled slightly. “Just curious.”

“About?”

“How, in all the places and schools in the world, you ended up here,” she answered as she leant back in the chair.

As he looked at her, it seemed as if her were debating with himself whether to answer or not. Moments later, he took a sip of his water, “I was traveling. Before I had left, a couple of my friends had told me about the village, Hogsmeade, and I was intrigued. I was in Romania, looking at the dragons that resided there. Am I correct to assume, by the way, that your brother works there?” Ginny nodded once, and Bolton continued on,
“I was there for about a week, and then decided to come to Hogsmeade. I was in the Three Broomsticks having a butterbeer when I saw Minerva walk in. She sat down with Hagrid and Professor Linworth. I couldn’t help but overhear the news that Linworth was retiring. And now, I think you know what happened from there.”

“But what possessed you to become a professor, here, at Hogwarts? Isn’t everything different compared to the school you went to in Brazil?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he answered.

“Yes, I suppose you could. Unfortunately for you, this conversation wasn’t about me,” she responded shortly.

“Technically it wasn’t about you, but it started with you,” he retorted as he took a sip from his goblet.

“I think it’s time for me to go now,” Ginny replied as she stood up.

Bolton stood up along with her, blocking her way to the door, “Please don’t go. I’m sorry. You’re right about everything being different between the school that I went to in Brazil and here at Hogwarts.” Ginny looked at Bolton reluctantly and then sat back down. “The structure is completely different: the school days, how things are run, the subjects that are taught, and the houses, just everything.”

Before he could go on, the door to his office had slammed open, and an infuriated Draco stood in the doorway. His blonde hair was skewed, sticking up in a couple places, his cheeks were crimson, his breath was jagged, and his gray eyes looked murderous. Ginny’s heart was racing from the unexpected slam. She looked at Draco curiously, and then to Bolton who seemed to be rather calm.

“Good evening, Draco.”

“Good evening? It’s far from a good evening, Lewin,” Draco spat out.

“Why is that Draco?” Bolton questioned.

Draco crashed the door into its framing, causing a couple of Bolton’s glasses shake. He then looked over at Ginny for the first time since he opened the door. If it were possible, Draco seemed to become even more frustrated. “Get out,” Draco snapped to Ginny.

“Excuse me?” Ginny queried.

“Get. Out.”

“Why should I? I was here, having a nice conversation with Lewin until you interrupted with a tantrum,” Ginny responded, her voice thick.

“I wouldn’t care if you were having tea and crumpets with Merlin himself! Now get out!”

“Draco, if you could be so kind not to be so rude to my guest, I would appreciate it,” Bolton said shortly to Draco. He then turned to Ginny,” Now Ginny, I’m terribly sorry, but it seems like we’re going to have to cut this meeting short. I thoroughly enjoyed it though.”

“I bet you did,” Draco said, his teeth grinding together.

Without another word, Ginny walked out of the door. When Bolton closed it behind her, she stood there trying to listen to what was happening. There was silence. No yelling, nothing breaking, completely different than what was written all over Draco’s face. Ginny sighed, and then walked the stairs deciding to go down to the kitchens.

She came across the large painting of the bowl of fruit. Looking around, she tickled the pear with her forefinger. The pear began to squirm around and chuckle, morphing into a large green handle. When she tugged the newly painted door, Ginny walked inside, having five House-elves surrounding her.

“What can Twinkle get for you Miss?” a smaller than average House-elf, said in squeaky yet tinkling voice.

Ginny looked down at the House-elf that claimed herself to be Twinkle, seeing that her eyes were a very light blue, and had a nose that was long, but not as Dobby’s had been. “If you don’t mind, I’d really enjoy some mashed potatoes with gravy with a side of duck, with a tall glass of Firewhiskey.”

Twinkle, and the others, bowed and then scurried off into the depths of the kitchens to obtain Ginny’s food. Twinkle and three other House-elves returned in just a couple minutes, another three following them with a small table and chair for Ginny to sit in.

They sat the table up and set Ginny’s food down. Before Ginny had a chance to thank them, the seven of them were gone. She shrugged and began downing the warm food, burning her throat.

Harrys’ warm hands were over Ginny’s eyes, as he was directing her to an unknown destination. Ginny’s laughter filled the air as she was stumbling across the floor,

“Harry, can’t you just tell me where we’re going?”

“If I did, it wouldn’t be called a surprise Ginny,” Harry answered with a chuckle.

“But you know I hate surprises!” Ginny exclaimed with a false frown.

“If only you were convincing.” Ginny stepped down on Harry’s foot. “What’d you do that for?”

“You were being rude.”

“Not for long,” he replied, as he opened a door. He led her through the open doorway, closed the door, and then removed his hands from her eyes. Then he placed his mouth by her ear and whispered, “Surprise.”

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, noticing the different between the lighting. Her brown eyes brightened as she looked around the room. The room was illuminated with candle. There was a fireplace off to the right, next to a rounded table that was covered with a white tablecloth that had a yellowish tint due to the surrounding candles. There was a large candle sitting in the middle of the table, with several calla lilies, with a tinge of pink outlining the edge, surrounding the large candle.

She turned towards Harry, “It’s gorgeous! You remembered my favorite flower!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him softly.

“I don’t have a reason to forget anything about you, so of course I’m going to remember your favorite flower. I remember everything about you, Ginny, absolutely everything.”

Ginny looked around, blinking a couple of times. She was in the kitchens with a plateful of food still. Reaching for her glass of Firewhiskey, she noticed that it wasn’t in its original spot. Looking up, she saw Draco standing there looking down at her, holding her glass.

“Can I have my glass back?” She questioned, holding out her hand.

“Do you really think you need it?” He asked back, sloshing the Firewhiskey against the glass.

“It’s not that I need it, I want it,” she retorted, extending her arm.

“From the looks of it, you really don’t need it. You’re already daydreaming; I really don’t think that this is going to help matters.”

“If I’m going to be completely honest with you Draco, I really don’t care what you think I need or don’t need. For your information, by the way, I was just remembering old times. So if you wouldn’t mind, I would really enjoy having that back.”

“How about, I join you for dinner.” He swirled the Firewhiskey in the glass, and then took a sip. “Refreshing.”

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. Then without thinking she responded, “Drowning your emotions, Draco?”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s not all too fun drinking alone,” he answered as he downed another gulp. “Finish eating so we can get away from here.”

“I’m done,” she answered as she continued to stare at him.

“You haven’t even touched your potatoes,” he pointed out.

“Who needs potatoes when you’ve got a bottle of Firewhiskey and company?”

Without another second to waste, the two of them walking to Ginny’s room anxiously. After fifteen minutes, her door was just a few feet away from them. She rushed forward, opening the door hastily, walked in, and pulled Draco in by his tie. Closing the door quickly she turned around towards her drink cart. Grabbing two glasses and the bottle of Firewhiskey, she walked over and sat on her bed.

Draco stood there watching as she tried to pour the liquid into the glasses on the lumpy bed. A chuckle escaped him as he walked over to help by holding the two glasses as she poured. Within moments, the two of them had drowned the contents and were already on to the next glass.

“Tell me why you were so mad with Lewin earlier,” Ginny insisted as she poured him another glass.

Ginny noticed Draco’s body stiffen before he answered, “It was nothing really. He’s prejudice against my House.” Draco grabbed the glass that she handed him, and took a quick swig, “He gave about six fourth years five weeks of detention for playing a small prank on the Hufflepuff’s.”

“How small exactly was this prank, Draco?” Ginny questioned, knowing full well that he wasn’t telling her the truth, and that the prank would have to be on a normal thinking schedule then what his was.

A smirk spread across his face, “They may have put a few stink pellets…and caused their whole common room to be covered in what seemed to be a purple swamp.”

Ginny looked at him astonished. Her mouth was opened slightly before she noticed and said something, “And that’s not worth detention?”

Draco laughed, “It’s just juvenility. No different then how we were at their age.”

“I beg to differ,” she replied as emptied the contents in her glass and refilled it. “You acted like them at their age, but I have to say that I didn’t.”

“Says the girl who’s the younger sister of the legendary Fred and George Weasely,” Draco scoffed.

“Just because Fred and George had many tricks up their sleeves, doesn’t mean that I have some,” she countered.

Draco snickered, “Sure you don’t. You don’t remember the schemes you pulled in your last few years here?”

“That was completely different. It wasn’t out of laughs; it was for the common good.”

“You said that about me awhile back…,” he trailed off, looking at her, his eyes softening.

She looked back at him, her voice softening, “I guess we switched roles….”

“Or perhaps we just finally aligned with each other,” he responded as he scooted closer, set his drink down, and moved a piece of her red, soft hair away from her mouth.

“Maybe -,” she stopped suddenly when Draco’s lips were running against hers. She could feel his hot breath, the smoothness of his lips, and the easiness of his lips moving across hers. Her eyes closed softly as his hand rested against the side of her neck and they started falling back, onto the bed, forgetting the shattering goblets.

Minutes passed by as the two formed and wrapped themselves around each other, not wanting the moment to pass them by. For both of them, it had been too long for moments like this to come.

Before it had gotten any further, Draco rolled off to the side of Ginny. His breathing was heavy, along with hers, as he looked at her. “I’m sorry…that was uncalled for.”

Ginny looked away from him for a moment, and then back, “Are you truly sorry?”

Before he could relay his answer, Ginny had already started kissing him again.